Air-treating apparatus.



D. M. LUEHRS GL W. S. CONANT. m. TBBATING APPABATUS.

APPLIOATIOH PILED MAYIG, 19104 Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

3 BHEETS-SHEET 1.

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mmm mmmmmwmmmwm D. M. LUEHRS W. S. CONANT.

AIR TREATING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILE!) MA! 16, 1910.

1,023,260. Pateted Apr. 16, 1912.

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Envcntozd %imam D. M. LUEHRS &z W. S. CONANT.

m TRBATING APPARATUS.

APPLOATIOX ILED KAE-13, 1910. 1,023,260. Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

3 BHEETS-SEEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL M. LUEHBS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, AND WILLIAM S. CONANT, OF DETROIT,MICHI- GAN, ASSIGNORS TO MCCBEERY ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

AIB-TBEATING APPABA'I'US.

Specicatio of Letters Patenta.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

Application filed May 18, 1910. Serial No. 561,(591.

To all whom it' 'may concern:

Be it known that we, DANEEL M. LUEHRS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Toledo, Ohio, and, WILLIAM S. CONANT, a citizen-of theUnited States, residing at Detroit, Michigan, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Air-Treating Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for washing air anddelivering the same at any desired temperature and at any desired degreeof humidity, whether the desired temperature and humidity are secured byraisng or lowering the degree of temperature or humidity.

The objects of the invention are: First, to provide improved means forpurifying the air. Second, to provide improved means of maintaining aregulated humidity for any fixed or regulated temperature.

Fill-ther objects relate to details of constrnction, whereby the air ismost efi'ectively passed through the washing and humidify ing spray andto details of the apparatus.

We accomplish the objects of this invention by the devices and meansdescribed in the acconpaying specification.

The invention is clearly detined and pointed out in the claims.

A structure exemplifying preferred embodiments of our invention isclearly illust'ated in the accompanying drawing, forming i part of thisspecification, in which- F igure 1 is a sectional plan view through ourimproved apparatus, in position, taken on a line corresponding to theirregular line l l of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional elevationView, taken on the irregular line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a verticaldetail sectional transverse view on line 3-3 of Figs. 1 and 2, thehumidity spraying Construction, and the foundation 2, it will be noted,may be somewhat modified' to receive the various parts of our improvedair treating apparatus. A casing is provided, having side walls 3 and atop 4, which incases and forms a proper passageway for the advancethrough the device of either outside air, air drawn from the building,or a mixture of both.

The front end of the c'asing 5 is semicylindrical in form, terminatingin a forwardly-projecting shelf 6. Conformed to this; so as to form areverse passage, is a wall 7 terminating in a forwardly-projecting ledge8 above and extending downwardly and thence toward the front of theapparatus, at 9, with a downwardly-turned flange 10. The lower edge ofthe fiange 10 projects into the top part of the tank 11. The temperatureof the water in tank 11 is regulated by means of a coil 12 12, having areturn 12. An injector or other device supplying a heating or a coolingmedium could be used. The tank 11 is provided with a drain 13,controlled by a globe-valve or other suitable cock 14, and is providedwith an over-flow 15, whereby the level of the water is maintained atthat point. So, it will be seen that the downturned flange or ledge 10extends into the water in the tank and closes the tank, so that airentering the apparatus must do so through the reversely curved passages16 and 20, the passage 16 being the entrance part which s recurvedupwardly at 20, this passage delivering into the chamber 21.

The tempering chamber 21 is heatcd or cooled by coils 22 22', the airbeing tempered as it passes this chamber, and meets a humidifying ordehumidifying spray delivered from the pipe 23, having the spray heads24 which form a curtain of Water across the same. As the air passes thispoint, itcomes to the V-shaped eliminator plates 25, which arearrangedto collect the free Iroisture'which flows down at this point andpasses into the sump-tank 30 at this point. The air is taken throughthis apparatus by means of the suction fan 26, which is driven by meansof a suitable pulley 27, or by any othertmeans. As the invention doesnot relate to the details of the fan, the fan s merely indicated by anillustration of its casing. A thermostat 28 is shown in this air supplyjust in front of the fan 26, (but may be placed at any point in thebuilding or space filled'by the air supply), and is connected by asuitable circuit to the valve 29, which is preferably of the diaphragmsort, which Controls the aclms sion to the coil 22', thereby regulatingthe rise or fall of the temperature of the air at this oint andcontrolling the same and maintaning a stationary temperature in the airsupply.

It will be clear that the water delivered through the spray pipes 23will be more readily absorbed by the air as its temperature is raised,and that it will be less readily absorbed as the water is cooled.Furthermore, that moisture will be abstracted from highly humidified airby a cooling spray. Heating and cooling of the spray water isaccomplished by the regulation of the temperature of the water in thesump-tank 30, the pipe 31 delivering cold water to this sum -tank, andthis pipe is controlled by the diap agm valve 32. 'This diaphragm valveis controlled by a hygrostat 35, which is arranged in the chamber infront of the fan 26. This hygrostat is set, for example, at 66% relativehumidity for any desired temperature, and, whenever the humidity reaches66%, the cold water pipe 31 is opened and the water in the snptank 30 iscooled. By hygrostat we mean an au-` tomatic device actuated byvariations of the moisture content of the air and connected by suitabledevices for the purpose of controlling the humidity of passing air bycontrolling evaporation or condensation.

Hot water or steam is supplied through the pipe 33, which is controlledby a suitable valve 34, and hot water or steam, when delivered throughthis pipe, of course, raises the temperature of the water in thesumptank 30. This valve 34 is controlled by a hygrostat 36, which isset, for example, at 65% relative hum dity for any required temperature,so that, whenever the humidity falls below 65%, the valve 34 will beopened and a quantity of hot water admitted through the pipe 33, intothe sump-tank, which raises its temperature, and thus, when ever thehumidity drops below 65%, increases the evaporation of the spray.Whenever the humidity goes above 66%, the cold water is turned in, asalready mentioned, and thereby this pair of hygrostats effectivelycontrols the humidity at this point, or at any otherpredetermined'point; and, as the temperature of the air supply iscontrolled by the thermostat, the exact hygrometric condition of the airat this point is effectively controlled, and the air, delivered by thefan 26 to the building or compartments requiring the treated air, ismaintained at a constant point.

The water is pumped from the sump-tank by means of the pump 40, which isoperated by the motor 39. Water is then taken through the suction pipe41 and delivered through the delivery pipe 42 to control the humidityspray pipes 23. 4 To this same, or another, motor 39 is connected a pump43, which draws water through the suction pipe 44 from the tank 11 anddelivers it to the air washer pipes and sprays 17, 18 and 19, throughthe delivery pipe 45.

The admission to the coil 12 is controlled by thermostatic valves 37 and37 connected to the thernfostats 38 and 38', respectively, in theheating chamber. The object of this is to supply sufiicient steam' tothis coil to prevent the water from freezing and otherwise temper it, orto admit suflicient cold water, or coolin medium, to reduce thetemperature of e air leaving the apparatus in warm weather. Steam issupplied through a pipe 57, which branches at 58 to this coil 12, and at59 to the heater coils 22-22' 'within the heating' chamber 91. Coldwater is supplied through an inlet pipe 58' controlled by thethermostatic valve 37.

The operation of our improved apparatus will be very readily understoodb observing the direction of the entry o the air, indicated by thearrows at the left hand side of Fig. 2. The air enters at the lower partof the apparatus, either from the outside air, or from the building. Itenters through the passage 16, which recurves and passes upwardly at 20into the heating chamber 21. Within the lower part of this passage is apipe containing spray heads for delivering a curtain spray transverselyto the passage, so that all of the air entering must come in contactwith the spray water and be deflectecl by the wetted surfaces within thespray chamber. A spray pipe 18 is at the reverse between these tworeverse passages and delvers a double curtain at that point, which veryefl`ectivel washes down the impurities in the air, inc uding dust,particles of scot, and the like, and a final Washer spray is provided bythe spray pipe 19, delivering a curtain across the upper portion of theapparatus. Water descends from this apparatus and flows down and fillsthe tank 11 up above the ed e of the downwardly-turned flange 10, so tat the air must take this particular specified course.

When the air' enters the chamber 21, it comes in contact with theheating coils 22, which, when opened by hand, are Operating at fullCapacity and the coils 22', which are controlled by a thermostaticvalve, and the temperature of the air, as it passes these coils, isregulated, and these coils are the heating means which regulate thetempera ture of the air, the air not being subjected to tempering beyondthis point. The air then comes to the curtain of humidifying spray,where it is completely moistened, the object of this spray being tothoroughly moisten the air, and it is then delivered against theeliminators 25, which take out all the free or entrained moisture. Thespray delivered from the pipes 23 is regulated n its temperature, sothat exactly the right amount of' moisture Will be evaporated orcondensed, and the extent of the moisture is under the contro-l of thehygrostats 35 and 36, which are connected to vary the temperature of thewater in the sump-tank 30, as an increase or decrease of the temperatureof the water Will vary the amount of the evaporation, and, consequently,the humidity of the air. The air supply then passes through the fan toany point in the building desired.

In Fi 4 we show the apparatus considerably srnplified, for use wherepreliminary tempering of the air is unnecessary. Here we place theeliminator plates in conjunction with the washing spray,-(see eliminatorplates 46),-which are in proximity to the air washing devices, the airwashing devices being here exactly the same as in the first describedapparatus. The humidity control, however, is also applied to same.

A steam heating coil 47 is provided beyond the coils to heat the air atthat point. Steam is admitted thereto through the steam pipe 54, whichis controlled by a thermostatic valve 55, which is regulated by thethermostat 56- located either in the air passage, just prior to theentry of the air to the fan 26, or elsewhere in the building. Hygrostats35 and 36 are provided at this point, or elsewhere in the air deliveryor space supplied, and are connected to control Valves 52 and 53,respectively. The valve 52 permits the admission of a heating mediumthrough the pipe 51 to the pipe 50 to increase the temperature of theWater delivered through the sprays 17, 18 and 19.

The hygrostatic valve 53, controlled from the hygrostat 36, admits acooling medium, as cold water, through pipe 51 to the pipe 50, -Which isdelivered to the sprays 17, 18 and 19 and cools the air, thus lesseningits hygroscopic properties, and, if it is saturatcd at a highertemperature, itgives up a part of its moisture and is thus dehumidified.The hygrostatic Valves perform the same function at this point that thehygrostatic valves 32 and 34, appearing in the structure illustrated inFig. 1, perform. Their action is to admit steam or hot water to thesuction pipe or to admit cold Water to the suction pipe 50, to decreaseor increase the humidity of the air in the air'washer by these means.The steam or cold water could be delivered or injected into thecirculation at any point.

The pump draws through the suction pipe 50 from the tank 11 and deliversto the spray pipes'through the pipe 45. The temperature of the water isthus regulated in the pipe 45, as clearly appears from a considera tionof said Fig. 4. Therefore, the operation of this apparatus is to heat orcool the spray as it is delivered, and thereby increase or decrease, byevaporation or condensation, the moisture content of the passing air, ascontrolled by the hygrostats 35 and 36. The temperature is controlledindependently by the thernostat 56, and is kept above a predeterminedpoint by that means.

During the cold season of the year, Where this apparatus is used fortreating the air of dwellings or ottice buildings or factoriesgenerally, no provision will be needed for reducing the temperature ofthe air, and, in the main apparatus, under those circumstances, theprincipal need of the coil 12 will be to keep the contents of the tank11 from freezing. This heating, very clearly, could be done by a greatvariety of means, which it will not be necessary to enumerate. The needfor cooling means will occur only Where it is desirable to deliver airat a temperature below that of the general atmosphere.

While we have shown pairs of valves for certain services, We desire toremark that double seated valves, or three-way valves, or other devices,might be made for controlling the flow, other than the simple valves wehave illustrated.. As the variety of such controls and connections areinfinite, we have not attempted to illustrate them.

The humidifying spravs, appcaring in the main structure, will nee bevaricd in their temperature to vary the degree of humidity, and have noother function than to supply the proper moisture. The temperature ofthe spray will have some slight effect on the air.

From this description, it Will be seen that the apparatus can bevariously modified without departing from our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim a::. new and desircto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In au air treating apparatus, the combination ot' a suitable casing;a reverse curved passage with an intake at the bottom with an upwardarrangement of the passage whereby the air passcs upwardly; spray meansfor forming the curtains of water within the said recurved passage forWashing the air; a tcmpcring chamber to which said recurved passagedelivers; thermostatic means in the trcated air supply to control thesaid tempering means; humidifying spray devices beyond the saidtempering chamber; eliminator platesfor extracting the free water; asump-tank to receive said water; means to pass air through the saidapparatus; a heating pipe and a cooling pipe for delivering a heatingand a cooling medium to the said sump-tank; a pump for pumping Waterfrom the sump-tank to the humidifying spray devices; a hygrostat set ata predetcrmined point to control the cooling medium for cooling thecontents of the sump-tank when the humidity rises above a certain point;and a hygrostat set at a predetermined point and connected to theheating pipe for controllin the heating medium to heat the contents otthe sump-tank when the moisture drops below a redetermined point allcoacting substantial y as described and for the purpose specified.

2. In an air treating apparatus, the combination of a suitable casing; areverse curved passage with an intake at the bottom with an upwardarrangement of the passage whereby the air passes upwardly; spray meansfor ,forming the curtains of water within the said recurved passage forwashing the air; a tempering chamber to which said recurved passagedelivers; thermostatic means in the treated air supply to control thesaid tempering means; humidifying spray devices; eliminator plates forextracting the free water; a sump-tank to receive said water; means topass air through the said apparatus; a heating pipe and a cooling pipefor delivering a heating and a cooling medium to the said sump-tank; apump for pumping water from the sump-tank to the humidifying sp'aydevices; a hygrostat set at a predetermined point to control the coolingmedium for cooling the contents of the sump-tank when the humidity risesabove a certain point; and a hygrostat set at a predetermined pointconnected to the heating pipe for controlling the heating medium to heatthe contents of the sump-tank when the moisture drops below apredetermined point all coacting substantially as described and for thepurpose specified.

In an air treating apparatus, the combination of a suitable casing; atempering cliamber with tempering means within said casing and formedthereby; a thermostatic means in the treated air supply to control thesaid tempering means; humidifying spray devices beyond the saidtempering chamber; eliminator plates for extracting the free water; asump-tank to receive said water; means to pass air through the saidapparatus; a heating pipe and a cooling pipe for delivering a heatingand a cooling medium to the said sump-tank; a pump for pumping waterfrom the sump-tank to the humidifying spray devices; a hygrostat set ata predetermined point to control the cooling medium for cooling thecontents of the sump-tank when the humidity rises above a certain point;a hygrostat set at a predetermined point and connected to the heatingp'ipc for controlling the heating medium to heat the contents of thesump-tank when the moisture drops below a predetermined point allcoacting substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

4. In an air treating apparatus, the combinaton of a suitable casing; atempering chamber with tempering means within said casing and formedthereby; thermostatic means in the treated air supply to control thesaid tenperng means; humdfymg spray devices; eliminator plates forextract ing the free water; a sump-tank to receive said water; means topass air through the said a paratus; a heating ppe and a cooling pipe ordelivern a heatng and a cooling medium to the sai sump-tank; a pump forpumpin water from the' sump-tank to the humdi yng spray devices; ahygrostat set at a predetermined point to control the cooling medium forcooling the contents of the sump-tank when the humidity rises above acertain point; and a hygrostat set at a predetermined point andconnected to the heating pipe for controlling the heating medium to heatthe contents of the sump-tank when the moisture drops below apredetermined point, all coacting substantially as described and for thepurpose specified.

5. In an air treating apparatus, the combinaton With suitable airwashing means, of a heating means; a thermostatic means in the treatedair supply for regulating the said heating means, whereby thetemperature of the ,air is controlled; spray humidifyng devices beyondthe said heating app-aratus; means for heating or cooling the sprayWater to control evaporation thereof; and hygrostat means forcontrolling the heating and cooling means of the said spray water,coacting for the purpose specified.

6. In an air treating apparatus the combination with suitable airwashing means, of a heating means; a thermostatic means in the treatedair supply for regulating the said heating means, whereby the temperature of the air is controlled; spray humidifying devices; means forheating or cooling the spray water to control evaporation thereof; andhygrostat means for controlling the heating and cooling means of saidspray water, coacting for the purpose specified.

7. In an air treating apparatus, the combination with a suitable airWasher; spraying means to spray water to humidify or dehumidify the air;regulable means forcontrolling the temperature of said spray water;regulable heatin means for controlling the temperature of t e air; athermostat located in the treated air supply for eontrolling the saidair heating means; hygrostatic means located in the treated air supplyand connected to control the regulable means for controlling thetemperature of said spray water and thereby control the humidity of theair, coacting for the purpose specified.

8. In an air treating apparatus, the combination of a suitable intakewith water spray means therein for washing the air; a heating chamberwith means of heating the same; a thermostat in the treated air supplyconnected to control the air heating means;

a humidiying spray means for moistening the said air; regulableheatingmeans 'for said humidifying spray means; hygrostatic means in thetreated air supply connected to control the regulable heating means andthe eonsequent evaporation of Water and the consequent humidity of theair, all eoacting substantially as described and for the purposespecified.

9. In an air treating apparatus, the combination of a suitable heatingehamber; recurved passages of uniform cross' section entering the samewith the intake at the lower part of the said apparatus, the saidpassages being recurved upon themselves upwardly; washng spray deviceswithin the said passages dis osed to spray water into each turn thereoand a tank beneath the same for collecting the surplus water,

coacting for the purpose specified.

10. In an air treating apparatus, the combination of a suitable heatingchamber; recurved passages of uniform cross section entering the samewith the intake at the lower part of the said apparatus, the saidpassages being recurved upon themselves upwardly; and w'ashing spraydevices within the said passages dsposed to spray water into each turnthereof, coacting for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo witnesses.

DANIEL M. LUEHRS. WILLIAM S. CONANT. lVitnesses to the signature ofDaniel M. Luehrs:

FRANK H. Fos'ma, LENORE H. WRIGHT. Witnesses to the signature of WilliamS. Conant:

JOHN H. BIBELL, EVA ATWOOD.

